Hi friends and welcome to my page! I'm Emily, a '25 from a town where winter rarely comes to visit and departs after only a few days. In my spare time, I love to read fiction novels, bake cinnamon rolls, play card games, solve riddles, delve into conspiracy theories, and engage in any water activity. I'm thrilled you're here and hope you enjoy!
My fall term began with my favorite class so far at Dartmouth: Antiquity Today. In this intro-level Classics course, we analyzed our own culture through comparison. Delving into topics of violence in entertainment, philosophies of government, and attitudes about sex, we deconstructed our own cultural norms and biases through comparing them with the practices of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Embracing the spirit of the Greeks' dramatic stage was the wonderful professor, Paul Christesen. He would bring a bag of goodies and distribute them to students who asked questions as incentives for students to engage with the course material. Overall, I feel that I have learned worlds about my time as well as the past and can see the world through an enhanced sense thanks to this course.
In an introductory-level Earth Sciences class, we traveled through time studying the origin of the planet, the history of life on earth, its migration to land, as well as the mass extinctions that plagued ancient populations. A key component of this conversation was the earth’s current state, and how we are experiencing the beginning of the sixth mass extinction in earth’s history. We discussed causes of the earth’s critical state and compared carbon levels throughout time to better understand our current carbon situation. In homework assignments, we took what we learned in the classroom into the field, which was my favorite component of the course. We wrapped up the class with the coolest project: Constructing a proposal that would meet the goals set in Biden’s energy plan as practically as possible.
As a last-minute change during Dartmouth's 'add-drop' period (the two weeks where students can make scheduling adjustments), I checked this class's box on a whim. I surely was glad I did because we engaged in some of the most interesting discussions about what makes up a religion and how other frameworks, like economic systems, can overlap. Over the term, we delved into the history of capitalism, the depraved ethics behind the origin of America's capitalistic system, and the Catholic Church's role in capitalism through usury. Very engaging and applicable class to round out Freshman Spring!
What is the soul? Is it the same as the mind? What's the difference between the mind and the brain? How does the heart factor in?
I absolutely adored this class that took a stab at the big questions! Or, at least, guided us through how the ancient philosophers viewed the intangible things that make us who we are. From readings about ancient physics-which could be surprisingly accurate!-to discussions about ancient views on psychiatric disabilities, we pieced together answers and started seeing from the eyes of the great thinkers of the day!
Do you like French toast? Yeah I like French toast!
If you answered yes to any of these little inquiries, you're in the right place. Because Dartmouth has a sub-club just for taking Dartmouth students to local diners!
But let's backtrack a little. How is a club for diners a sub-club, and what does that even mean? At Dartmouth, our biggest club is the Dartmouth Outing Club, or DOC for short. The DOC is broken up into many categories, such as the canoe club (called Ledyard Canoe Club), the mountain climbing club (Dartmouth Mountaineering Club), and the hiking club (Cabin and Trail) to name a few. Basically, anything outdoors, from fishing and hunting to mountain biking, Dartmouth has a club for. And if not, you can start one! But I digress. We're here to learn about Dinertour! Dinertour is a sub-club of Cabin and Trail, so it falls under the umbrella of the DOC but doesn't scream outdoors (which I really liked about Dinertoure!).
Our journey began at 6:30am, when DOC vans picked the group up, and we began jamming to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones on the way to our 60's spot. After meeting everyone and doing a few little ice breakers—they were much needed so early in the morning—we climbed out of the can and began shuffling into one of the most beloved diners near campus: 4 Aces!
It looked like a cute New England barn from the outside, but inside, it was the picture of a homey diner with the nostalgic token 60's vibe. To make matters even better, they had biscuits and gravy, something I've been craving form home! An upperclassman also recommended the apple muffin, which tasted just like a churro! Yum!
As we were waiting, we spotted something on every table: the magic 8 ball! As we passed around this little gem of another time, we got to know each other in a wholesome way that threw us back to middle school.
Overall, Dinertoure was amazing. It's something I've been excited for since my first term at Dartmouth, and it was certainly worth all the hype! I think it's awesome DOC is so involved on campus, even if the things we do with the club aren't all outdoors. It offers a way to get involved with communities on campus, and helps you get to know more people who are into the same things as you and of all class years.
In addition to blogging, I work as a Fellow for the Tucker Center, which focuses on promoting spiritual and ethical life on campus. As part of this role, I'm leading the Interfaith Alternative Spring Break Trip. Read on to learn more about my work!
